Debate scheduled for 6th Hampden District state Senate, House candidates

Robert A. Magovern, left, and James T. Welch are vying for the 6th Hampden District state Senate seat in the Nov. 2 election.

SPRINGFIELD – The Student Government Association of Springfield Technical Community College will host a debate with candidates in the races for state representative and state senate in the 6th Hampden District Monday at 12:30 p.m. in the theater of Scibelli Hall. The event is open to the public.

Participating will be Agawam City Councilor and Republican Robert A. Magovern and state Rep. James Welch, D-West Springfield, state senate candidates, and West Springfield Town Council President Michael J. Finn, a Democrat, and Republican Gregory C. Neffinger, who are running for state representative.

The debate will be moderated by Springfield Technical Community College political science professor Nicholas Camerota.

Many of the questions will focus on funding and other support for public higher education.

Student Government Association vice president Tatiana Flores, of Springfield, said in a press release issued about the debate that the event will be an opportunity for students to learn where the candidates stand on issues so as to be prepared to vote knowledgeably in the Nov. 2 election.

Michael J. Finn, left, is running against Gregory C. Neffinger for 6th Hampden District state representative on Nov. 2.

“It’s so important for us to be properly informed on the issues and candidates. This is our individual civic responsibility,” she stated.

Flores noted that according to PHENOM, the public higher education network of Massachusetts, Massachusetts is 46th in the country in per capita support for higher education and has cut its support more than any other state in the last five years.

Welch, the Democrat many consider the heir apparent to the Hampden District Senate seat, coasted to victory over his opponents last month’s primary. He beat Democrats Susan R. Dawson, the former mayor of Agawam, and Ronald Patenaude, a labor activist from West Springfield. Magovern beat Kenneth G. Condon of West Springfield by less than 200 votes in the primary.

Neffinger and Finn have both stated they would like to see the state sales tax rolled back to 5 percent.

Neffinger defeated fellow Republican Dean C. Vogel in the primary. Finn was unopposed to be in the Democratic candidate.